Just past noon, the tide had fully receded, revealing wide stretches of wet mudflats and jagged rocks.
The sun warmed her skin, and the sea breeze carried a salty tang that invigorated Su Wanqing.
Her years of experience gathering seafood in her past life had made her exceptionally attuned to the sea. Scanning the crevices in the rocks, she quickly spotted her targets.
Rolling up her pant legs, she waded through the cool water between the rocks, deftly prying plump clams from the crevices and scooping up a few razor clams whose shells shimmered with a blue hue.
Before long, she had gathered a substantial haul.
Back at the residential compound, just as she turned into the hallway, she ran into a young female educated youth wearing a blue work uniform.
Her hair was neatly braided into pigtails, and she carried an enamel bucket. When she saw Su Wanqing, her brows furrowed ever so slightly.
Her gaze swept over Su Wanqing from head to toe, sharp and prickly, finally lingering on the reddish mark still on her cheek. The corners of her mouth twitched in disdain as she muttered under her breath, “So she really is from a fishing village, no manners at all,” before walking away without looking back.
Su Wanqing searched her own memory for any recollection of this girl but drew a blank. There had been no previous interactions, no reason for conflict—but the hostility was unmistakable. This made Su Wanqing more alert.
Opening the door to her apartment, she was met with a chill in the air.
The space was small: a living room with two tiny bedrooms. Against the wall was a worn-out sofa, in the center an old tea table, bare of decoration.
The whole place was so quiet that the wind whistling through could be heard, entirely devoid of life—more like a temporary dormitory.
Walking toward the living room, she passed a slightly ajar bedroom door. Inside was a simple wooden bed, neatly folded military-green bedding, and a bedside table holding a notebook and pen.
It was Lu Yan’s room.
Why say it was Lu Yan’s room?
Because they had been married for a month, yet still slept in separate rooms!
They hardly interacted beyond what was strictly necessary.
Su Wanqing shook her head repeatedly.
She rolled up her sleeves and dove into the cramped kitchen.
She cleaned the clams, extracted the crab meat, and by the time the residential compound lights flickered on, the kitchen was filled with an irresistible aroma.
A milky clam-and-tofu soup bubbled gently, golden crab-egg custard emitted a rich scent, and paired with bright green vegetables and mixed-grain rice, a warm, comforting late-night meal was ready.
She kept the dishes warm on the stove and sat on the sofa, waiting.
The wall clock ticked past ten.
Finally, there was movement in the hallway, accompanied by the loud, spirited shouting of a young boy.
Su Wanqing stood and opened the door under the dim light.
Lu Yan’s tall, upright figure was always ahead, his fringe tousled slightly by the night breeze.
Behind him followed a preteen boy, around thirteen or fourteen.
The boy stomped his feet in annoyance, voice carrying through the hallway: “Bro! The dorm smells awful, the bed’s harder than a rock—I can’t sleep! Just let me stay at your place for two months!”
Lu Yan didn’t stop, only glanced at him sideways, his throat moving slightly, face expressionless.
The cold in his gaze made the boy immediately quiet down, though he still refused to give up.
He glanced at Su Wanqing and, spotting her at the doorway, his annoyance instantly shifted to disdain. He snorted heavily: “Oh? Not asleep at this hour, huh? Standing at the door keeping watch?”
The sharp, provocative tone made Su Wanqing frown.
She recalled that this proud young boy was Lu Zhengming, Lu Yan’s cousin.
In the original memories, this cousin despised the original Su Wanqing, seeing her as rustic and dull, unworthy of Lu Yan. Every encounter was filled with condescension.
Su Wanqing didn’t respond, her gaze landing on Lu Yan instead, smiling warmly: “You’re back.”
Lu Yan’s eyes fell on her, her slightly flushed cheeks lifted in a playful smile. His brows furrowed ever so slightly as he glanced at the lit room behind her.
Lu Zhengming squeezed between them, scrutinizing Su Wanqing from head to toe, tone sharper: “Bro, look at her in that ragged tunic, face all puffy—like a country bumpkin. How could she possibly match you? Don’t let her stay here. I’ll stay with you instead—it’s bad luck!”
Su Wanqing pressed her fingers together discreetly, restraining herself.
She hadn’t forgotten her purpose. She winked at Lu Yan: “I made a late-night meal, it’s still warm. Come in and have some.”
At the mention of “late-night meal,” Lu Zhengming’s stomach growled inconveniently, but he protested: “Who wants to eat her cooking? It’s probably awful!”
“Bro, I’ll stay at your place, I promise I’ll be good. I can even cook for myself—surely better than her!”
He tried to squeeze past into the room.
Lu Yan suddenly shifted, blocking him, his dark eyes flashing a colder edge toward Lu Zhengming.
The boy shrank back but still persisted: “Bro! I really can’t get used to the dorm…”
Lu Yan ignored him, stepping toward Su Wanqing. Passing Lu Zhengming, he lightly pressed on the boy’s arm—a small force, yet carrying unmistakable authority.
Clearly, he was telling him not to cause trouble.
Su Wanqing couldn’t help laughing, her eyes curved like crescent moons.
Lu Zhengming’s eyes widened, furious: “Ugly woman! What are you laughing at?!”
Su Wanqing’s smile faded, her face darkening.
She had reached her limit.
“You little brat, watch your mouth! I’m your sister-in-law—try saying that one more time and see what happens!” She put her hands on her hips and scolded him.
Lu Zhengming protested: “I won’t!”
Su Wanqing grabbed Lu Yan’s arm, her eyes tinged with a faint red, voice pleading: “He insulted me. I don’t like him. Don’t let him stay at our house, okay?”
Lu Yan lowered his eyes and nodded, as if saying, Fine, as you wish.
“Bro! Why do you help her and not me?!” Lu Zhengming stomped his feet, but dared not come closer.
Su Wanqing closed the door, cutting off his shouting.
She turned back to the kitchen cheerfully: “The clam-and-tofu soup is still hot. I’ll serve you a bowl.”
Lu Yan stood in place, glancing over the neatly arranged tableware, the aroma faintly drifting to his nose.
Su Wanqing placed the dishes on the table; the steam carried a fresh, enticing scent.
She set everything before him: “Try it. It’s still warm.”
Lu Yan sat, eyes lowered, nose catching the unusual, homely fragrance.
He looked up at Su Wanqing, standing expectantly beside him.
Slowly, he picked up his chopsticks.
They hovered over the soup for a moment before he took a bite of a leafy vegetable.
A fresh warmth hit his tongue—but his brows barely twitched in subtle displeasure.
It wasn’t bad.
The flavor was vibrant, contrasting sharply with the bland, cold food he had grown accustomed to.
A faint resistance stirred in his stomach.
He put down the spoon, running a finger along the bowl’s rim, then opened his notebook, scribbling: I don’t have the habit of eating late-night meals.
After a pause, he added: No need to trouble yourself in the future.
The handwriting was neat, but it built an invisible wall, completely blocking her approach.
Su Wanqing’s excitement instantly chilled, as if a ladle of cold water had been poured over her.
She felt a bit dejected: “Do you want to try this soup again?”
As she spoke, she reached to add a spoonful, but Lu Yan lifted his hand to gently block her.
Before she could say anything else, he stood up.
Distant, rejecting.
He turned and went into the bedroom, the door clicking softly behind him, sealing the aroma—and her—outside.
The living room fell silent, only the clock ticking.
Su Wanqing stared at the nearly untouched soup, a twinge of bitterness rising in her chest, but she quickly clenched her fists.
Cold, picky, accustomed to being alone… these traits only reinforced her certainty: the breakthrough point was in habits.
Just as she was about to clear the dishes, there was a sudden knock-knock-knock at the door.
Urgent and persistent, one knock after another without pause.
Frowning, Su Wanqing opened the door—it was that brat Lu Zhengming.
He was about to start with harsh words but thought better of it and immediately put on a pitiful expression.
“Si-sister-in-law, I’m sorry!”
He hung his head, voice awkward: “I shouldn’t have cursed you, shouldn’t have spoken without thinking. Please don’t hold it against me.”
“Just let me stay one night. I’ll sleep on the sofa and promise not to disturb you!”
Su Wanqing crossed her arms, a spark of inspiration flashing in her mind.
The original story offered almost no background on Lu Yan.
This brat, though annoying, was one of the few close to him.
Perhaps she could extract some useful information from him.
Her culinary strategy, it seemed… wasn’t particularly useful.
She deliberately put on a stern face: “What did you do wrong?”
“Everything!” Lu Zhengming hastily swore loyalty: “I’ll definitely listen to you from now on!”
Only then did Su Wanqing step aside: “Come in, then.”
Lu Zhengming was about to cheer when she held him by the shoulder.
“But I have one condition,” Su Wanqing said, her voice lowered.